Ideate Automation can be used with Revit to export the sheets and/or views from your Revit model to DWG. Multiple Revit models can be processed in a single task.
The preferred method uses a Dynamic Sheet/View List, adding the power of Ideate BIMLink to provide more support for complex tasks across a number of Revit project environments.
There are three sample scripts that are supplied with the Sample Content. The differences between the sample scripts are as follows.
Script Name | Input | Output | Location |
AUT-Export_DWG |
Files List | View/Sheet Name | AUT-03 Publishing |
AUT-Export_DWG_Long |
Files List | Model Name — View/Sheet Name | AUT-03 Publishing |
IBL-Export_DWG_Dynamic |
Dynamic Sheet/View List | Dynamic — Views or Sheets | ISW-01 Publishing - Dynamic |
AUT-Export*
scripts.IBL-Export*
script uses a BIMLink definition named Sheets that is installed with Sample Content at Prior to running a task, review the DWG Export Settings in Revit. File → Export → DWG.
The DWG Export Settings can be established in the Revit model prior to using Ideate Automation to export to DWG. If they are not, the default or last selected setting in Revit will be used. The following image shows what settings are defined in Revit and where Ideate Automation can control certain settings in a saved task.
Ideate Automation will use the <in-session export setup> as shown unless a specific named Export Setup is defined in the Task Script Variables. You can read more on this Autodesk Help page Modify DWG/DXF Export Setup.
The equivalent field in Export to PDF is called Selected views/sheets and it contains Print Sets that are shared across the Print and Export dialogs in the Revit model.
Revit sheet sets can be difficult to manage because they are not rule based. It’s easy to identify which sheets or views should be included in a DWG export process when there are only 10 sheets/views to pick from, but in the real world this is hard to manage.
With Ideate Automation + BIMLink you can create a dynamic list of sheets or views based on built-in or custom Revit and Ideate BIMLink properties, and then use that list to define the list of sheets/views to be exported to DWG. Examples of the types of dynamic sheet/view sets you can create within BIMLink for use with Ideate Automation include:
To publish all the sheets that are defined in a project as DWG files, follow the steps below.
IBL-Export_DWG_Dynamic
.Your export results will include one DWG file for each of the views that are dynamically defined within the BIMLink Link definition called “Sheets”. As the project evolves the sheet list will dynamically grow or shrink per the BIMLink definition, which can be customized as needed.
Contact support if you need help customizing your scripts.
If you prefer to publish to DWG by using a pre-defined Revit sheet/view set, you can use the scripts found under Automation Scripts\03 Publishing\DWG. In these scripts, instead of using the Dynamic Sheet/View Lists, you can use your pre-defined sheet/view set name from your Revit project (or leave the value blank to use the saved default sheet/view set value).
Desired File Name | Revit Option | Automation Script | Variable Settings |
A102 | default short name | AUT-Export_DWG | no change needed |
IBL-Export_DWG_Dynamic | |||
rac_basic_sample_project-Sheet - A102 - Plans | default long name | AUT-Export_DWG-Long | no change needed |
rac_basic_sample_project-Sheet-A102 | N/A | IBL-Export_DWG_Dynamic | ${revit_file:revit.filename.noextension}-${filename_parameter_value} |
20221212-A102 | N/A | AUT-Export_DWG | ${today.yyyyMMdd}-${filename_parameter_value} |
IBL-Export_DWG_Dynamic | |||
2022.123456-A102 | N/A | AUT-Export_DWG | ${Revit.CurrentFile.ProjectInfo.PROJECT_NUMBER}-${filename_parameter_value} |
IBL-Export_DWG_Dynamic | |||
18-003-ABC-XX-D-A-00001 | N/A | AUT-Export_DWG | See below for other file naming tips |
IBL-Export_DWG_Dynamic |
The default file naming for many of the scripts that export to DWG is controlled by the variable ${filename_parameter_value}. This value is in turn controlled by either a sheet or view name parameter. The default value for the sheet elements is to use the parameter called “Sheet Number” while the default value for view elements is to use the parameter called “View Name”. You can substitute your own parameter value if so desired though you must ensure that the parameter value is unique within the project to avoid the problem of one view name overwriting another. Refer to Renumber Sheets to ISO 19650 for tips on creating the required sheet naming values for either the Sheet Name or any custom parameter.
For example, to comply with ISO 19650 standards, many people are managing the required sheet number value within a custom parameter name. In the example shown below, the sheet number is combined on the title block to include two custom parameters called Project Code and Originator, both of which are stored under Project Information.
Both the AUT-Export_DWG
and IBL-Export_DWG_Dynamic
can be used to deliver unique dwg file names by adjusting the File Name variable to:
${Revit.CurrentFile.ProjectInfo.Project Code}-${Revit.CurrentFile.ProjectInfo.Originator}-${view_parameterValue}
Any parameter found under Project Information can follow this syntax to become part of the file naming. Read in more detail about Basic Scripting with Ideate Automation.